I remain silent, not wanting to admit even to myself why I asked Jaxson to make the ceiling height taller. Then, it was about fitting in all my computers, but now seeing him here, in my space, I realise I was kidding myself. I’ve always dreamed about showing Elijah therealme.
I plaster a smile on my face and turn towards him as we reach another doorway.
“Jaxson,” I say. “I told him I didn’t want to watch my head the whole time, so he designed the space to be above normal head height, unlike most basements.”
I input my code into the security pad and wait for the door to slide open, wanting to change the subject.
Elijah steps up behind me, his body too close for comfort.
“You take your security seriously.”
“I’ve had to,” I say, stepping further into the room, cutting off any more questions, and putting some well-needed space between us.
Inside, lights flash and twinkle, welcoming me home.
Elijah steps into the room behind me, exhaling loudly.
“Welcome, Pen,” Tiffany, my AI system, says, her voice coming from my speakers.
“Thank you, Tiff,” I reply. “This is Elijah Frazer. He’ll be working with us. Please ensure he has access to everything he needs.”
“Certainly, Pen. Welcome, Elijah,” Tiffany says.
Elijah looks at me, and I shrug.
“Tiffany is company. She’s great for bouncing ideas off. Don’t knock what you haven’t tried.”
Elijah holds his hands up but doesn’t look convinced.
“What happened to Daphne?”
Oh crap, I forgot he knew about Daphne.
“Tiffany is an upgrade.”
“So Daphne was tossed aside for the latest model? Not like you,” Elijah says, raising a brow.
“It was a little more complicated than that and not something we need to get into now.”
I’m thankful when he lets it drop.
I move towards the back wall and the bank of monitors and computers I have set up. A seating area, TV, and full kitchen are at the far end of the room.
“This is?—”
I turn and smile at the man now standing next to me.
“Only a handful of people know this place exists. I’d like to keep it that way,” I say.
Not even Kris knows about my room. There’s been no need to tell him.
He nods and takes in our surroundings.
“This is quite the home setup,” he tells me, moving around me, taking in the different screens. “I considered Gabriel and Leah’s place advanced.”
He stops and stares at me when I burst out laughing.
“Gabriel wanted to base it on this place. Not that he needs all I have. Your baby brother is a tech nerd like me.”
